MEMPHIS, Tenn.— The Montreat men's golf team sent five freshmen to TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn. on Monday and Tuesday to square off against a loaded field at the NAIA Memphis Shootout. Competing among a 15-squad field that included nine teams ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA Men's Golf Coaches' Top 25 Preseason Poll, the Cavaliers performed admirably and finished in a tie for 11^th thanks to their team score of 942.
 
With merely a 2-stroke difference between their first (316) and second (318) round performances, the Cavs relied on their consistency to stand in 11^th place following 36 holes of action. A native of Cherryville, N.C., Jackson Tedder captained Montreat through two rounds, utilizing five birdies to card an initial even-par score of 72 before tallying another birdie and a 77 to wrap up the first day tied for eighth individually. Newcomer Atley Gabriel joined Tedder inside the top 20 (T-19^th) as his five birdies and 20 pars translated to a 75 and a 77.
 
Alex Murphy tallied an 87 through his initial 18 holes, but a trio of birdies in the second round aided the Monroe, N.C. native in shaving eight shots off his scorecard to break 80 and end the opening day tied for 56^th out of 75 golfers. Britton Smith finished his afternoon in 66^th place overall after carding an 84 and an 85, respectively, while Hunter Vowell sat in 71^st following rounds of 85 and 91.
 
The Cavaliers saved their best golf for day two as all five Montreat athletes shot under 80 in their final round and combined for a team tally of 308, their best showing of the tournament by eight strokes. As a result, Montreat tied for 11^th with (RV) Northwestern Ohio. The Cavs also beat conference foe Pikeville and placed better than (RV) Missouri Baptist.
 
Gabriel delivered his best 18-hole performance on Tuesday with five birdies and seven pars, good enough for a 1-over 73 and a tie for 11^th overall. Meanwhile, Tedder also captured a top-20 result as he tied for 19^th place with his third-round score of 79. Murphy (T-55^th) and Smith (63^rd) each carded a 78 on the final day of action, and Vowell (T-70^th) closed out the tournament with a 79 of his own.
 
"With a tournament having numerous nationally recognized teams, I am pleased with our efforts," said head coach Daniel Kehler. "We definitely competed well with five freshmen in the starting lineup this week. I am proud of these guys and their efforts to get better every day. We will continue to get better as we prepare for our fall conference tournament next week."
 
For a complete look at results from the NAIA Memphis Shootout, click here.
 
The Montreat men's golf team concludes its 2023 fall slate next Monday and Tuesday with the Appalachian Athletic Conference Fall Preview at The Windermere Club in Blythewood, S.C.